Run free, Charlie!
The last remaining elephant in South Africa’s national zoo was freed this week after spending 40 years in the complex. Throughout Charlie’s life, all he has ever known is captivity, including a stint with the Boswell Wilkie Circus, where he was taught to “perform tricks,” according to the BBC. He was 2 years old when he entered the big top as one of its main attractions.
He was freed after years of negotiation between the South African government and the EMS Foundation. They teamed with the veterinarian teams at FOUR PAWS International and the Shambala Private Game Reserve to provide the elephant with a much larger area to roam at a 10,000-hectare reserve in Limpopo, where he will be reunited with many more elephants. The reserve aims to bring in animals and prepare for them to be reintroduced into the wild.
The EMS Foundation told the BBC that they will let Charlie decide on his “own pace” when he is ready to return to the wild after decades of living in captivity. What the foundation and reserve will next focus on is making sure he becomes self-sufficient, which includes having him go through rehabilitation and feeding programs.
Animal welfare groups have long fought for Charlie’s freedom, citing health issues. EMS provided data that expressed the suffering these animals go through while held in zoos—and that doesn’t even include the occasional zoo trespasser that can disturb animals.
Marina Ivanova, a veterinarian at Four Paws International, said on CGTN Africa that Charlie will be in a special enclosure so “that he is protected” so he has time to decide on joining the herd or remaining by himself.
The news of Charlie’s release came right around World Elephant Day, which was established in 2012. The ceremonious day was created to “bring attention to the urgent plight of Asian and African elephants.”
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The post The Last Elephant in South Africa’s Zoo Was Freed After 40 Years of Captivity appeared first on VICE.
